272 rebel fighters of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) were killed in a counter offensive carried out by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), according to a statement issued by ENDF on Thursday.
ENDF confirmed that TPLF launched a large-scale attack in the northeastern part of the country and took control of some places until the Ethiopian army strongly repelled and neutralized several militants and seized various types of weapons and ammunition.
According to the statement, the rebel group attempted to infiltrate the North Wollo zone in the country’s Amhara region by deploying its forces across several districts, but was forced to retreat due to “the heavy blow it received, losing its assets and manpower.”
ENDF said that 260 enemy forces were also wounded and, “a large number of enemy forces were captured.
The latest escalation comes amid heightened tensions in Ethiopia’s northernmost Tigray region, following Sunday’s announcement of a new alliance formed by seven Ethiopian opposition and armed groups, according to local media.
Recent developments have raised concerns about a possible relapse into conflict against the backdrop of the two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and TPLF-loyal troops from November 2020 to November 2022.
The two-year conflict left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance before the two parties signed the landmark Pretoria peace accord in South Africa to end hostilities.
Tigrayan authorities have accused the African Union (AU) of failing to ensure the implementation of the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, shortly after the bloc called for “utmost restraint” and an immediate de-escalation amid renewed military tensions in northern Ethiopia.
The AU on its part expressed concern over the reported seizure of civilian airports by Tigrayan forces and escalating hostilities in Tigray and Afar, while the Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau said the regional government’s repeated appeals for AU intervention had gone unanswered.
MG/abj/APA